Engine starter



Oct. 22, 1935.

J. G. RAYNIAK ENGINE STARTER Filed Aug. 3, 1931 Patented Oct. 22, 1935UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE STARTER,

Application August 3, 1931, Serial No. 554,741

Claims.

This invention relates in general to a mechanical starter for internalcombustion engines and more particularly refers to marine motors of theoutboard type, although it may be used 5 wherever applicable.

One of the principal objects, of the invention I is in the pr'ovisionofa recoili'ng starter mechanism to simplify and facilitate successivestarting operations.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of means forpreventing the starter mechanism from engaging during a kick-back or inback-firing.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of ball grippingstarter mechanism opposite movable surfaces to grip balls therebetweenwhen they are substantially parallel.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a shockabsorber upon the return of the starter handle.

A further object'of the invention is in the provision of a simplestarter mechanism which may be readily applied to outboard motorsalready in operation.

Other and further objectives will appear hereinafter, the accompanyingdrawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing Fig. 1 "is a top view of an en gine starter constructedin accordance with the principles of this invention and applied to anoutboard type of marine motor; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of thestarter showing the motor parts in outline; and Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. In starting marine motors, particularlyof the outboard type, it has been the practice to use a pull rope with anotched starting pulley, but this is objectionable for the reasons thatthe rope may become lost or broken, it takes time and patience to coilandrecoil the rope about the pulley for successive operations, and ifmany operations are required it becomes very difflcult and laborious.The present invention overcomes these objections by substituting asimple recoil starter of the spring type which actuates a ball clutch bysuccessive pulls 'on the starter, the pulling tape being immediately'recoiled upon release so that it is ready for another pull. Provisionis also made for engagement of the clutch balls upon a kickback orreverse operation of the engine part of I the starter mechanism so thatthere is no danger of engaging the clutch balls in case the engineshould operate reversely. I Referring now more particularly to thedrawing, this invention is illustrated as applied to an outboard motorof the vertical type having a fixed or casing part 5, above which is aflywheel 6 mounted at the upper end of the engine or crankshaft I.

In applying the present invention, a shaft extension 8 is threaded uponthe upper end-of the crankshaft I and has a nut 9 at the top by which itmay be attached and removed, the portion, below the nut forming a.bearing for the starter 5 mechanism. It is customary to provide anotched rope starter plate which is attached to the top of the fly wheel6, but in applying the present starter the 'conventional starter plateis removed and a starter plate In is substituted therefor 10 which has arope engaging notch H, for. emergency operation and has a sleeveextension 12 surrounding the bearing portion of the shaft extension 8.Mounted directly on top of the starter plate It) and surrounding thesleeve extension 15 is a clutch member l3 which is secured directly tothe plate I!) and the fly wheel 6 by any suitable means such as screwsl4. Also attached to the starter part I3 to rotate therewith is acentral washer I5 having a projecting pin l6 which en- 20 gages with thepart 13 for rotating it therewith, these parts all being securedtogether and to the fly wheel to rotate with it and with the shaftextension 8.

A pair of side supports II are secured'to the 25 motor casing 5 or anyrelatively fixed part of the engine by links or brackets I8 and extendaround and above the fly wheelwhere they are attached to a top plate l9having a downwardly projecting bearing portion 20 which surrounds the 30sleeve extension l2 but is spaced therefrom by hearing sleeves 2| and22. The outer rim 23 of the plate 19 is turned downwardly forming acasing for a recoil spring 24 and a pull tape 25,

which are attached at the inside and outside re- 35 spectively of a rim26 of a lower casing member 21. The inner end ofthe recoil spring 24 hasa looped fastening or end 28 into which a projection-29 is inserted andthe'outer end of the spring and the inner end of the tape 25 may be 40attached to therim 26 by means of a slotted loop at the end adapted toembrace an outwardly or inwardly pressed tongue 30 of the rim 26 throughwhich a holding pin 3| is inserted. The outer end of the pull tape25extends through a 5 slot in the rim 23 of the upper casing member andthrough a bracket 32 attached thereto, and at the outer end of the tapeis a pull handle 33 having a slit 34 for receiving the tape andfastening screws 35 for holding it in place. Inter- 50 posed between thebracket and the handle 32 is a short extended'recoil spring 36 attachedto the handle by a fastening screw 31 and providing a bullet forcushioning the return of the pull tape due to the action of the recoilspring 24. 55

To close the bottom of the upper spring casing member is a'plate 38 andbelow this plate and surrounding theextension sleeve I2 is an innerstarter member. 40 separated from the .sleeve 22 by an anti-frictionsleeve 4|. This- 66 42. Thus it is seen that the casing and the.

- parts enclosed thereby and the inner starter member 40 and the partsattached thereto are relatively fixed with respect-to the outer startermember IS, the inner starter member 40 being turned only upon actuationand return of the starter tape 25, and being separated from the rotatingparts by anti-friction bearing sleeves and washers.

At the periphery of the inner starter member 40 are a number of ballengaging surfaces 43 and at the inside of the outer starter member iiare a number of ball engaging surfaces 44, normally disposed insubstantially vertical relation, be-

tween which balls 46 are engaged for gripping action when the surfacesare substantially parallel. For each ball there is provided a retainingI 5 groove 46 having a radial portion "which is inclined toward thecenter thereof so that the balls will roll by gravity into position toengage the inner member 40 and an outer curved portion 48 extending fromthe outer end of the radial portion in the normal direction of movementof the starter members. This portion 48 is also inclined downwardlyfromits outer end toward the axial portion 41 so that when the starter partsare at rest the balls will tend to roll by gravity from the outermostend of the grooves 46-. e

In the normal starting operation an outward pull of the handle 33unwinds the pull tape 25 and winds up the recoil spring 24. This causesthe engagement of the balls 45 with the outer starter member l3 when thesurfaces 43 and 44 thereof, respectively, are substantially parallel anda continued pullof the tape rotates the 5 crankshaft for starting theengine. As the engine starts or as the inner member 4| is reverseiyrotated the balls 45 move outwardly in, the grooves 44. If it shouldhappen that the engine instead of starting in the proper 5 directionshould kick backwardly or .start in the reverse direction, the starterballs instead of being moved downwardly into engagement with the startermember 40. will bethrown by -centrifugal force into the grooved portion4| and will not return for cat with the' 65 operative, the emergencystarter plate ll may be used together with a starter rope either withthebrackets I'I andtheattachedpartsinplace or removed. Iclaim: I 7o 1. Ahorizontally rotatable starter mechanism for-an engine havinga flywheelcomprising a part attachable to a flywheel, afixaed support'at-'techabie tgthe engine and extending aboutthe I the'rotation of theinner starter member 4!! and flywheel, a starter part rotatable withrespect to the support and means including passages inclined to thehorizontal and gravity clutch members therein for engaging it in onedirection of rotation with said flywheel part, means attached 5 to thestarter part for rotating it, and rewinding means attached to thesupport and the starter part for recoiling the starter rotating means.

2. A starter mechanism-for an engine having 10 a fixed casing and ahorizontallyoperating flywheel, comprising a fixed support attachable tothe casing and extending adjacent the flywheel,

a bearing support forming an extensionof the flywheel axis, a starterpart secured to and ro- 15 tatable with the support and the flywheel, anormally stationary starter part rotatable upon the bearing support andconnected to the fixed support, and means comprising inclined passagesin one of the parts and gravity clutch members go thereon connecting thestarter parts in one direction of rotation of the stationary part, andmeans for returning the said stationarypart to normal pcxsition.

3. In a recoiling engine starter, for horizonas tally rotatable parts, afixed support rotatable means, a fixed casing secured to the support, astarter part secured to said rotatable means, an actuating starterpartand clutch means to conne'ct it in one direction of rotation withthe so other starter part, said clutch means including gravity passagesand-clutch balls movable there in, a lower casing part to which theactuating starter part is connected, a pull tapeconnected to theactuating starter. Demand a recoiling :5 spring connected to theactuating starter part and to the flxed support for rewinding the pulltape.

4. In an engine starter, a starter part having a central crank shaftextension and means to 40 secure it to a flywheel for horizontaloperation,

a fixed support having a casing part bearing upon the shaft extension,the casing having an outer flange with a slot in it, aninner casingmember having a flange .within the other one,

a pull tape surrounding the inner flange and one end secured thereto,the other end extending through the slot, a coil spring within thecasing members attached at one end to the inside of the inner casingflange and at the inner end to the flxed support, another, starter partattached to the inner casing member, and means comprising es inclined tothe horizontal and gravity clutch balls'to'connect. the starter.

parts intone direction of rotation. v

5. An engine starter for an outboard motor having a horizontallyrotatable flywheel and a stationary casing, comprising a starter partattachable to the flywheel and having a flywheel shaft extension,another starter part rotatable on the extension, means comprisinginclined passages having radial portions with outer curved extensionsand gravity clutch members therein to connect the starter parts in onedirection of rotation. a fixed support-attachable to'the casing and toextend above a flywheel, a pull tape and a recoil spring and enclosingparts to which they are attached, one end of the spring .being attachedto the fixed support and the pull tapeextendingthroughoneoftheenclosingpartsto which it is returned by therecoil spring. JO SEPH G. RAYNIAK.

